Is Privacy the Newest Form of Luxury?

It seems as though everywhere we go, there is a camera (whether knowingly or unknowingly) trained on our every move. It is in the hands of all the wannabe TikTok vloggers who film their days regardless of follower count, the Twitch streamers, and the YouTubers. That’s not even counting the surveillance of cameras at every street corner.

Of course, there is a large difference between the former and the latter. At least the latter does the job of keeping our streets safe, of offering evidence in insurance claims, and witnesses in any potential incidents. In addition to making sure our valuables stay on our persons, now we have to worry about being the face of public humiliation or discussion on a corner of the internet we may never see.

Of course, the tech companies have jumped onto this bandwagon wholeheartedly. The recent launch of smart glasses proves this. Now, anyone wearing a pair of glasses could be recording you and all you’d have to know is a flashing white LED light in the corner of the frames. Is privacy the newest, most-prized form of luxury? Masala finds out.

In summer ’25, tech giant Meta introduced its first wearable, the Meta AI Glasses, a pair of smart frames designed to make AI a constant companion, directly in your line of sight, because apparently our phones weren’t already close enough to us.

Developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the global eyewear powerhouse behind brands including Ray-Ban, Oakley, Persol, and Supreme, the glasses are positioned as a new way to experience the world. They can answer questions, pull up sports scores, suggest nearby restaurants, and interpret what you’re looking at, while built-in translation features can help decipher speech on the spot. Open-ear speakers also allow for calls without broadcasting your conversation to the entire room.

Meta has been steadily expanding its AI glasses universe, from the now-familiar Ray-Ban Meta frames to the sportier Oakley Meta ideal for the run-club enthusiast and golfers, and most recently, its new Meta Glasses, including a slim oval style created with Kylie Jenner.

On paper, it sounds sensible. In many ways, it’s a smartwatch, only without the dreaded routine of glancing down at your wrist. Your digital assistant is simply there in your periphery, hovering between your eyes and the rest of the world. Though, the more interesting question isn’t what these glasses can do, but how much of our everyday lives we actually want AI to see and help with in the first place.

This isn’t the first time Google has tried the smart glasses game. In fact, they first launched “Glass Explorers” back in 2014. Ironically, they were pulled from the market after seven months when UK policymakers cited concerns about privacy.

And then, in 2025, came its spiritual successor: Android XR. This is a collaborative effort between Google and Samsung Electronics that works as an extended reality (XR) while relying heavily on Google’s Gemini chatbot.

Perhaps taking a leaf out of Meta’s playbook, these smart glasses are available through eyewear brand, and fashion-lover favourite, Gentle Monster and affordable glasses brand, Warby Parker. There are two types of intelligent wear you can choose from: audio glasses which offer assistance in your ears or display glasses that provide you with the information you need instantaneously.

Navigating and staying connected while remaining hands-free has never been easier. All you have to do is say “Hey Google,” to activate Gemini. While it would seem kind of strange to be talking to air, we can’t deny that real-time translations as we look down at a menu on a foreign holiday would be incredibly helpful.

But can you stop someone with nefarious intentions who might snap a picture in secret and put it through Nano Banana for their own use? Maybe the privacy laws were onto something during the first go-around.

Saw someone incredibly attractive on the train the other day? Snapped a quick picture to share to your group chat that you’ve lovingly named something strange? Totally normal, right? Ehh… Yes and no.

How would you feel knowing that a random photo of you (perhaps not looking your best) is circulating as the butt of some joke in some random person’s pixelated screen? Even if the intentions seem harmless, like the @hotdudesreading page on Instagram which catalogues, well, hot dudes reading in different places (as seen below), that is still a stranger you don’t know.

Did you know that phones purchased in Japan and Korea come with a shutter noise when you take a photo? This sound cannot be muted. It goes to show that while companies cannot control who purchases their devices, they can at least try to limit the nefarious intentions people use them for.

This begs the question if Meta and Google should be following suit with similar methods of safeguarding. As cool as the AI-powered features are, it’s difficult to discern whose hands, or rat eyes, these devices end up with.

In order to prevent any instances of unwarranted photographs or videos taken without consent (for heaven knows what reason), perhaps adding an extra layer of precaution like a sound alert that goes off when something or someone is being recorded should be implemented. Establishments may also consider adding safeguarding measures themselves for patrons and customers to feel like Big Brother isn’t watching by setting rules against wearing the specs once entering premises.

As more renditions roll out, it will be increasingly difficult to identify whether someone is wearing the lay pair of glasses, or AI-enhanced lenses.

If you’re thinking of purchasing a pair for yourself, remember: be mindful. Just because these specs may be helpful for you or add to your swag, it doesn’t mean the people around you feel that same joy.